Besan Ka Paratha (Indian flatbread stuffed with spicy chickpea flour)

The fragrance of spices and roasted chickpea flour makes this flatbread totally irresistible. You may vary the spices or their quantities to suit your taste. Serve this for any meal with plain yoghurt on the side.

Makes 9 flatbreads

For the outer dough:

1½ cups/230g chapathi flour, plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon salt

For the filling:

1 cup/130g chickpea flour

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon red chilli powder,or to taste

½ teaspoon asafoetida

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

For cooking:

Vegetable oil or Ghee

Method:

Make the outer dough: Combine the chapathi flour, turmeric powder and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually add water and stir well until you get a medium-soft dough. Knead the dough for 5 to 8 minutes until smooth and pliable. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. While the dough is resting, make the filling.

Make the filling: Dry roast the chickpea flour on low heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Grind all the remaining ingredients to a smooth powder and add to the chickpea flour. Mix well. When it is warm to the touch, add sufficient water and mix to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Knead the rested outer-dough for a minute or so. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball. Divide the filling into 9 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.

Heat a griddle (or a tava) over medium heat until quite hot.

Slightly flatten an outer-dough ball and roll out into a disc of about 4-inch/10-cm diameter, using a rolling pin and board. Place a filling-ball in the centre of the rolled-out disc. Gather up the edge of the disc towards the centre and then pinch the edge together to seal the filling securely inside the dough.

Gently roll it out into a disc of about 7-inch/18-cm diameter, dusting with loose flour as needed, and place it on the griddle.

When the underside of the dough disc develops a few scattered brown spots, flip the disc. Brush the upper surface with a little oil or Ghee. Press the upper surface gently with a spatula so that the dough disc puffs up like a balloon.

When the other side develops brown spots, flip again and brush the other side with a little oil or Ghee. Cook for 10 seconds or so and remove it from the griddle. Serve immediately, or wrap in a foil or a clean tea cloth to keep it warm until ready to serve.